Quarantine
by equilibrium2018
Summary: Season 1. Some of the crew are potentially infected with a deadly toxin. The seaQuest - and most importantly, Bridger - must work towards saving them and understanding what their loss would mean.


Working title: Quarantine  
Rating: M  
Classification: shortly before "An Ocean On Fire"  
Disclaimer: seaQuest and all its characters belong to Amblin  
Entertainment.

Launch MR-3 propelled itself back to the seaQuest after several hours out on the nearby tropical reef. Its seven passengers were exhausted from their work but content with what they'd achieved. A young biologist looked over the large pile of containers stacked and belted at the back of the vehicle. "Do you think we got enough samples Dr Westphalen?" she asked earnestly from the bench seat opposite her superior.

Kristin smiled along with the others. "Yes Dr Collins, I believe we did." She sighed and massaged the back of her neck. It had been a long and arduous day but it had definitely been worth it. The particular reef they'd been surveying had turned out to house a wealth of interesting specimens and they'd obliged by collecting anything and everything they could. Kristin couldn't wait to get back and study them all, but first she'd be heading for a hot shower and a huge dinner. Nathan had been generous and let them have a whole 4 days of exploring - he'd even joined them on the first two expeditions – but after all those hours underwater in a wetsuit Kristin was about ready to admit she'd had enough. She stretched stiffly in her seat, imagining her warm bed.

Ben Krieg sat in the cockpit humming to himself, hands moving over the controls. Despite complaining about it to his military friends, Ben liked accompanying the scientists on their research trips. At first it had been surprising to him but he was actually interested in their work. He enjoyed getting away from the seaQuest, even if it was just for the day, and found the science crew's company more friendly and relaxed than that of their military counterparts. This group had even let him come out to the reef with them to collect and transfer samples. And when he'd admitted to Westphalen that he liked the work she'd confided that she knew he would and was slowly trying to convert all of the military crew.

Krieg smiled as he caught snippets of banter from the passengers below him but his thoughts were interrupted by a flashing light on the console. He looked at it blankly then pushed a few buttons. The flashing light was suddenly accompanied by a persistent beeping and still Ben looked on bemusedly. "Ah, Doctor Westphalen?" he called over his shoulder. The chatter below stopped. He heard movement behind him until the doctor's head appeared as she climbed the ladder up to the pilot station.

"What can I do for you Mr. Krieg?" Kristin asked as her attention was immediately drawn to the light.

"This warning indicates that a pathogen is present onboard."

"What?"

"Sensors on the seaQuest and all of its launches monitor the atmosphere. If they pick up anything out of the ordinary an alert is given. I've never seen one go off before but apparently there's a toxin onboard that wasn't present when we left seaQuest this morning."

Kristin looked at Ben. "Or when we left the launch for the reef," she offered seriously.

"So whatever it is, it came onboard with us and the samples." Ben gulped.

"…Yes," Kristin concluded softly, her eyes travelling to the blue void ahead. Their private worries were permeated by the harsh beeping. "Well then," Kristin started, jumping into action, "it may be nothing but we need to stick to the rules just in case. Inform the seaQuest of the alert and follow the contamination procedures." Ben looked at her blankly. "Ok Ben?"

"Yeah. Yes Doctor," he said with a little more strength.

"I'll go and tell the others." Ben still didn't respond, his hands frozen over the launch controls. "Ben," Kristin said softly and he looked up. "It'll be ok," she smiled softly. She wished she could place a reassuring hand on his shoulder, but if there was a contamination, she and her scientists were at greater risk and she'd never forgive herself for endangering Krieg.

"You're right. Why don't you go back and strap yourself in – I'll get us to the surface and alert seaQuest."

With a nod, Kristin returned to the passenger area to break the bad news. As she climbed back down the ladder she heard Ben hailing O'Neil and couldn't help thinking about how quickly a mood could change – five minutes earlier she and her colleagues had been so satisfied. But they were professionals and they reacted as such. Kristin was proud to work with these people and told them so. "It could be a false alarm," she explained, "but we can't take any chances." The five people seated around her nodded as they fastened their own belts and felt the launch adjust course sharply. Dr Collins again turned her attention to the pile of sample containers, this time with wariness in her gaze. It was obvious she wasn't comfortable having them so close considering the risk they posed, but she knew they couldn't do anything about it now. "Once we reach the surface we'll exit the launch and put on the environmental suits so we can't transfer the pathogen to the seaQuest. Hopefully they'll clear us to get back onboard then with any luck after a few tests we'll be free to get to those showers we're all craving."

The group was silent and could hear Krieg finishing talking to the seaQuest. Once O'Neil's voice had signed off Kristin called up to him. "Ben – contamination procedures include you sealing off the cockpit from our compartment." The others shot looks at Kristin but understood why it needed to be done. If they or the samples were the source of the toxin they needed to do everything possible to minimise the danger.

"I know that doctor," Ben's disembodied voice drifted down to them, "but I'm not going to do that."

"It's dangerous for you, you have to-"

Ben interrupted. "I collected samples too Doctor. We're all in this together." For a moment Kristin couldn't reply as she was struck by Krieg's willingness to put the group above his own safety. "Besides, if you are infected it's not like you can come up here and scold me." He and the others chuckled.

"Don't think I can't scold you from down here Mr Krieg!" Kristin replied with a laugh in her voice.

Tim pulled his headset off slowly, his eyes slightly unfocussed. "What is it Mr O'Neil?" Ford asked as he moved over to the Communications Officer.

"That was Krieg. The research party was on its way back here when a warning sounded."

"What kind of warning?"

"He said they picked up an unknown contaminant on the reef. They could all be infected. They're heading for the surface…"

Ford paused, scanning his memory for launch contamination procedures; it had never happened on any ship he'd served on in his time in the UEO. "How far out are they?"

O'Neill pressed a few buttons. "We can rendezvous with their positon when they surface in 20 minutes."

"Very well. I'll alert the captain and Dr. Levin. We'll follow full contamination procedures when we pick them up. You'd better broadcast on the E-band to anyone in the area that there may be a toxin in the vicinity. Multiple languages please Mr O'Neill."

"…Aye sir." O'Neill said. Despite his professionalism, his concern was evident in his voice. Their conversation was now drawing interested and worried looks from other bridge crew. Ford looked around then leant closer.

"We hope for the best and prepare for the worst lieutenant. Yes?" (Ford could hear his own statement echoed back to months ago, when he was aboard a tiny life raft in the Bermuda Triangle. He hoped the outcome this time round would be just as positive.)

"Yes sir." O'Neill's voice held a little more confidence and in a few moments his station was filled with the sound of toxin warnings in French, German, Spanish, Russian and Mandarin.

Nathan looked up from his position on his bunk as he felt the seaQuest's engines hum and the boat begin to accelerate. Before this tour, he'd been away from the submariner's life for years, but it had only taken him hours before his was back in tune with his ship's hums, whirs and motion. He was off duty and knew Commander Ford was a more than capable XO, but it didn't stop him from closing the book resting in his lap and moving to pace his cabin restlessly; there was no reason them to be changing direction right now, particularly as he knew they still had a launch out on the nearby reef. A launch that was carrying his dinner date for this evening. Sure enough, seconds later his PAL beeped for attention. "Captain to the Wardroom" came Ford's disembodied voice.

Since his quarters were so close, Bridger had to wait until Ford, Levin and Crocker reached the Wardroom. He was perplexed to see the doctor's presence as he knew Kristin should soon be returning from her final day of collecting samples on the reef. "Trouble Jonathan?"

"Hopefully not sir. But protocol dictates I inform you all anyway."

"Inform us of what?" Crocker interjected.

"Shouldn't we wait for Dr. Westphalen's launch to return?" voiced Levin. "She should be back any second and any information you give us should surely go to her, since she's the CMO." Ford shifted uncomfortably and Levin raised his eyebrows at him expectantly.

"….unless the information is about Dr. Westphalen's launch." Nathan said softly. "What's going on Commander?"

Ford cleared his throat. "It could be nothing but yes, the launch carrying Dr. Westphalen, Lt. Krieg and four other scientists had a contaminant alarm go off once they got their final samples on board. They will have surfaced by now and we're following full contamination procedures. Hopefully it's a false alarm but we can't take any chances."

Nathan felt a cold fog descend thickly around his senses, as though icy honey was being poured over his body. Fifteen minutes ago he'd been comfortably reading in bed, a book Kristin had lent him. Nathan thought about that viscerally warm feeling he'd had just a quarter hour ago, thinking about the book and how his CMO knew him to his core. That feeling of connection was gone now. At the very best, his CMO would be spending the night in quarantine.

"Very well Commander, I agree that full contamination procedures are best. Dr. Levin, please ensure the HAZMAT suits and quarantine chamber are prepared. Chief, oversee the retrieval of our crew. Let me know which hatch you'll use and I'll meet you in Medbay with them."

"Aye sirs" chorused. Nathan sat in the Wardroom alone for a few moments once his officers left. He put his head in his hands. He'd forgotten how hard this was. There was a reason no tour lasted much more than 12 months. By now, no commanding officer could help certain crew members getting under their skin and feeling like family. And no commanding officer was allowed to preside over their own family because they presented weaknesses a captain could not overcome. It was catch-22. There were people on that launch he cared for deeply. So deeply he might act irrationally to protect them. Nathan sighed heavily. He would just have to monitor the situation carefully and hope it didn't come to that.

He raked his face with his fingers then tapped the comms unit. He'd have to let Bill know of this development before they rescued the MR-9 crewmembers. Sometimes he wished he was back on his island. He'd never had this problem before now because his true family had always been off whatever vessel he was on. Whatever dire situation he got himself into, Carol and Robert had been far away and safe. They worried about him, not the other way round. Now, with each passing day, Nathan felt like his true family was on seaQuest. And at least one of them was usually in some sort of peril every mission they went on. Lucas and Kristin in particular, seemed to be able to get in trouble just by breathing. Nathan banged his fist against the Wardroom table fiercely.

"Alright, here's what will happen," Kristin spoke calmly to the other four science crew seated around her in the launch. "We're almost at the surface. The seaQuest will pick us up but they can't risk us contaminating the rest of the boat. They'll have to tow the launch but they'll provide us with HAZMAT suits. Put one on and don't head to the hatch or ladder down inside seaQuest until you've had the decontamination spray. It won't be pleasant, but it's necessary to make sure we don't harm the rest of the crew."

Her colleagues looked at her warily. They were all still in their wetsuits because the launch didn't afford enough privacy to change, and now they were all imagining painful decontamination processes. And to be truthful, the process wasn't fun. Kristin had been through it before and wanted to prepare her friends.

"What are you talking about doc?" Ben descended the ladder from the cockpit as they'd just surfaced. "The decontamination spray is kind of like a nice warm shower, right?" he nudged her playfully. "I've worked with you lot all day and you scientists are way more hardcore than most of my military mates, we'll be right." He flashed them all a grin. "The seaQuest has surfaced right next to us. This'll be a piece of cake."

Kristin smiled warmly back. "Thank you Mr. Krieg, I'm sure you're right." Although Krieg was sometimes immature, she had to admit that when things got tough, he was always a confident and reassuring crew member; the exact qualities you wanted your Morale officer to have. Kristin made a mental note to tell Ben her observation…. when the tour was over. He'd never let her live it down if she told him before that.

It was freezing on the surface. The sea was choppy and the launch crew being in damp wetsuits didn't help. They shuffled across to the surface of the seaQuest with difficulty. Most submariners aren't used to surface waves and the youngest of their crew threw up from the jostling. Kristin rubbed her back as they waited for the HAZMAT suits to be tossed their way. "We're almost there Maddie, you're doing well." Again, Kristin thought Ben might recoil from a situation like this one, but he grabbed the first suit, offered it to the young, green science officer and helped Maddie into it.

As they stood on seaQuest's outer skin, waiting for the others to be processed, Ben and Kristin argued about which of them would be the last on board. "Ben, I'm the Chief Medical Officer, I'm not getting on seaQuest until I know everyone else is safe. You're next," she managed to grit out through chattering teeth.

"I'm sorry Kristin but I wouldn't board the seaQuest until after you when we were stuck out in Hurricane Sheila. This is no different. The next suit is for you." Ben crossed his arms with finality. Both he and Kristin thought back to the much happier time when they were so relieved to see the seaQuest in the eye of hurricane Sheila.

"Ben, that was different! That time in the hurricane, Lucas refused to let go of me and we all agreed he should board seaQuest first, that's why I let you go after me." Kristin said in exasperation.

"Doesn't matter."

"Ben, this is my fault," Kristin persuaded desperately. "We didn't need the extra day on the reef but I insisted on it." Ben watched Kristin argue with him and realised she was feeling guilty about the situation. "All of you volunteered to help. You of all people were just giving us a hand, you're not even Science! If anything happens it'll be entirely my fault. The absolute least I can do is make sure you get on seaQuest ok." Kristin exclaimed with a pleading look on her face.

The penultimate HAZMAT suit got tossed down between them. Ben leant in close with a twinkle in his eye. "Kristin, Katie only remembers that she's head over heels for me when I'm in mortal danger. I'll bet she's waiting for me to come aboard right now. Everything will be fine. We'll only be in quarantine for a couple of hours, which will be just enough time for Katie to fall back in love with me." Although Kristin shot Ben a disbelieving look, she couldn't help the corner of her mouth twitching into a smile. "You've done me a favour Kristin," he grinned. "Now put that suit on."

Forty minutes later the five MR-9 crew were in the quarantine chamber in Medbay pulling off the HAZMAT suits.

Katherine Hitchcock raced into Medbay and switched on the quarantine comms. "Ben Krieg, what have you done?!" she yelled wildly. "Why can't you just look after yourself and stay out of harm's way?!"

Ben winked surreptitiously at Kristin who smiled. "Katie it's fine, _I'm fine_ ," he stressed. She banged both her palms onto the glass that separated them in frustration and he placed his hands over hers gently. "I feel fine Katie, I'm sure this a false alarm, we'll be out of here in no time."

Katie released a nervous sigh. "You'd better be right Benjamin Krieg."

He gave her a lopsided grin and said with a winning air "hey, when am I even wrong?"

Kristin and the other MR-9 crew rolled their eyes good-naturedly in the background.

Katie's retort was stifled by Lucas skidding into the room. He stared at the occupants of the quarantine room. "Again," he shook his head in disbelief. They all thought back to a few months previously when Dr. Guy Peche's toxin had infected Ford, Krieg and others and Kristin had found the antidote just in time to save them all.

Finally, Ford and Bridger arrived. Katie and Lucas stepped back from the glass and Kristin moved forward to meet her captain. She felt a little awkward standing in what essentially was like a glass viewing room wearing only a wetsuit, but she was drawn to her captain's stare. The comms were still on, so everyone could hear and see their conversation, but it felt like they were the only two people in the room.

"I'm sorry about dinner," Kristin offered with a slight smile. "Rain check till tomorrow?"

TBC


End file.
